Caves and mines

If you are keen on visting natural caves or mines, the Hotel Clelia Logis d'Italia in Deiva Marina
is happy to give you a short description of the most interesting underground spots in Liguria.
These range from natural treasures to stunning mines that are the result of centuries of men mining manganese, copper, iron, gold and silver.

In the surroundings of Deiva Marina:
There is a copper mine in the town of Piazza, 5 km from Deiva Marina, which closed down in 1920.
4 km from Deiva Marina, in the municipality of Framura, at the mouth of the Castagnola river, there is a manganese mine,
which was opened in 1862 and then closed a few years later due to an exhaustion of material.
In Gea, close to Deiva Marina, there is a small quarry of the most valuable red marble of Levanto, which is partially active nowadays.
In the territory surrounding Deiva Marina, on the mountains close to the passage "Passo del Bracco", in the village of
Pietra di Vasca, you can visit the famous rocks "Creste di Gabbro", which are located about 800 m above the sea level.
From here you can enjoy a spectacular view.

Between Portofino and the Cinque Terre:
The mines of Gambatesa are located in the municipality of Ne, in the valley "Val Graveglia", only a few km from Chiavari and Lavagna.
This is one of the biggest manganese ore deposits in Europe.
The caves in Pignone - located in the province of La Spezia, precisely in the valley of
Val di Vara, to the north of Cinque Terre is the karst area next to mount Castellaro.
This area has been declared a site of community importance.
The copper mines in Libiola, just a few km from Sestri Levante, date back to very ancient times, approximately to 3,500 B.C.
The mine is not open to the visitors, but you can visit the blue water springs nearby, which are characterized by turquoise-coloured water.
The water gets this beautiful colour from the high concentration of copper sulphate.
The Gamberi cave lies at a depth ranging between 25-40 m, next to the mount of Portofino, Punta Chiappa and Camogli.
Its walls are covered with plesionika narval crayfish, small lobsters as well as other shellfish and red coral.
The caves in Val Frascarese, San Pietro di Frascati, next to Castiglione Chiavarese, Casarza Ligure, Sestri Levante, with the caves
Grotta delle Fate and Grotta della Prima Ciappa, are a unique example of karst formations on the Eastern Ligurian Riviera.

Towards Tuscany and the Apuan Alps:
The Caves of Equi Terme lie in the province of Massa Carrara, some 80 km from Deiva Marina.
In the same area visitors will also find a museum, didactic paths and hot thermal water, which is radioactive and rich in sulphur.
The cave Grotta del Vento in Garfagnana, located in the province of Lucca, can be visited following three different tours, each lasting between 1 and 3 hours.
The marble quarries in Carrara are renowned for their high-quality white marble, which is exported all over the world.
Many sculptors in the past, such as Michelangelo, used the marble from these quarries to create their masterpieces.
You can visit the quarries on organized tours starting from Colonnata.
This town is famous for the typical lard that is kept in brine in marble jars, just as ancient traditions would have it.
Monte Corchia cave system, in Levigliani di Stazzema, located in the province of Lucca, is one of the biggest karst cave systems in the world.
The quicksilver mines “dell’Argento Vivo”, in Levigliani di Stazzema, located in the province of Lucca,
feature a 700 m tour along which you can relive the life and work of the ancient miners and see liquid mercury.
The Paolo Roversi Abyss: located in the Carcaraia karstic landscape of the Apuan Alps, in the province of Lucca,
and precisely in the municipality of Minucciano - these caves are the deepest in Italy and reach a depth of 1,350 m.

Towards Genoa and the Western Ligurian Riviera:
The mine of the Linajuolo Mount lies in the municipality of Rovegno in the high Trebbia valley.
The mine has been in use since medieval times to extract ferrous minerals such as pyrite,
chalcopyrite, as well as zinc, sulphur, copper, gold and arsernic in small amounts.
The Toirano caves, in the province of Savona, have been open to visitors since 1953.
Visitors can go on interesting guided tours and discover wonderful rooms, rich in stalactites
and stalagmites, or see the cemetery of prehistoric bears and traces of Homo Sapiens.
The caves in Borgio Verezzi, in the province of Savona, are rich in ponds and known for the presence of many minerals.
These caves are famous as one of the most colourful caves in Italy.
The caves of Balzi Rossi, in the province of Imperia, are not far from the Italian border to France
and are characterized by an intense red colour from the presence of ferrous minerals.
The most famous hollow of these caves are the Caves of the Children ("Grotte dei Fanciulli"), the Cave Costantini, the Cave of the Prince and Barma Grande.
The caves in Finale Ligure, in the province of Savona, with remains from the Paleolithic and the Neolithic eras, are less famous but nonetheless very interesting.
Their names are "Caverna delle Arene Candide" and "Caverna della Pollera".

Hotel Clelia Logis d’Italia: our office can give detailed tourist information to guests upon their arrival.
We will be happy to provide you with information on the different excursions to caves,
mines, museums, medieval villages travelling by car, motorcycle, train, bike or on foot.
Maps, plans, photos and leaflets are available at the reception.
The hotel has rooms and a suite offered with B&B, half or full board arrangements as well as an a la carte restaurant.
The hotel also offers holiday apartments both in Deiva Marina and in the Cinque Terre, which are ideal for those wishing to be autonomous on their holiday.
Contacts and booking service are available online on this website or at www.hotelclelia.tel and www.hotelcleliabooking.com.